The Bone Age
NOTE: The hardcover version is undergoing a very minor revision and will be back up for sale at the end of April. It includes the pdf in the cost¸ so until then¸ please only purchase the pdf if you have no intention of buying the hardcover.
The Ape-Turtles didn't plan on three flying saucers crashing into the planet.
The Bone Age is an old-school RPG of neolithic-era tribes struggling against the sudden arrival of bug-eyed aliens. You play a Tuzanian¸ a tribe of jungle-dwelling¸ vine-swinging¸ pterodactyl-riding¸ bone-wielding savages¸ or a Cruach¸ giant-crab riding cave-dwellers living in mountains bordering the jungle. Radiation leaked from the Invaders' crashed flying saucers spreads on winds of purple¸ blue¸ and white¸ mutating the land and its inhabitants. Meanwhile¸ a race of turtle-apes and ape-turtles sleeping in stasis beneath the surface awoke...1¸000¸000 years later than planned. And they were not impressed by the native population ‐ or the alien Invaders.
The Bone Age isn't based on a specific OSR system¸ but comparisons can be drawn to Swords & Wizardry¸ Labyrinth Lord¸ Lamentations of the Flame Princess¸ and Dungeon Crawl Classics. The base mechanic uses a d20 where higher rolls are better than low rolls¸ and works in a similar fashion to the way saving throws and attacks work in Labyrinth Lord. Thus¸ an ability might be expressed as 12+¸ meaning you want to roll a 12 or higher on a d20. Placing the target number in the hands of the players means they get the thrill of shouting "My attack hits!" or the agony of lamenting "I failed my mutation roll¸" as opposed to the Game Master setting a secret Difficulty Class.
The Bone Age uses a class & level system¸ with levels maxing out at 10. While most of game mechanics in The Bone Age will seem familiar¸ there are some things that stand out in contrast to many other games. The most important is the concept of Attunement. The land of The Bone Age ‐ called Kalsentia ‐ is itself a living entity¸ and the creatures that inhabit it can develop a spiritual connection to various geographic regions. These regions are represented by hexes on a map. If you are attuned to a hex¸ you function more effectively in it. You can attempt to attune to new regions¸ but you risk the wrath of the land if you offend it ‐ rock slides¸ earthquakes¸ and floods are just some of the signs that you have angered Kalsentia.The land is brutally hot. The north is dry¸ the south is humid. Many regions see rain only once per solar cycle.
Some bullet points of interest:
- With the exception of the PCs and NPCs¸ The Bone Age harbors no terran life forms; no horses¸ no dogs¸ no bumblebees¸ no bats¸ no platypuses.
- The methods necessary to create metal have not been discovered.
- The bones of ancient creatures litter the landscape. Bone is thus a resource used for a variety of tools¸ including weapons.
- Three alien ships crashed on the planet one solar cycle ago. Radiation leaks from those ships continues to be carried by the wind¸ infecting the land and its inhabitants with horrible mutations. The aliens are collectively called the Invaders.
- Advanced technology has been pilfered from Invader ships and Invader dead. Wise men and women have attempted to understand the strange items¸ to varying degrees of success. Player-characters will discover Invader tech in various states of repair. The use of these items can be unpredictable¸ wondrous¸ and dangerous.